Experimental studies of the dynamics and parametric dependences of switching from total internal reflection to transmission and limiting effects

Abstract
We present experimental results concerning the process of switching from the total-internal-reflection to the transmission state at a glass–nematic-liquid-crystal interface. The results are in agreement with our detailed theory of the dynamics of interface switching [J. Opt. Soc. Am B. 6, 884 (1989)]. An optical limiting effect, caused by the transverse nonlinear phase shift that is associated with the Gaussian profile of the laser beam, is also observed.